In Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), establishing is begun of the standard for a video coding description framework, called Reconfigurable Video Coding (RVC). RVC is a technology for a codec framework that divides all sorts of video coding and decoding technologies by module and allows the divided technologies to be performed, and is a technology that increases flexibility for the use of a current video coding technology and may be easily applied to video coding technologies that is to be developed in the future.
The basic concept of RVC prepares a plurality of Functional Units (FUs) that are divided by function of performing each operation in decoding (further, coding), and performs decoding by combining suitable functional units in accordance with each coding scheme.
In relation to the functional units and a Decoding Descriptor (DD) defining the connection relationships between these, because a related art standard defines the functional units based on input/output signals (for example, input/output and control-context), it has considerable complexity. As an example, definition is differently made for each functional unit. For example, although specific inputs are basically identical, one functional unit refers to as YUV, but another functional unit refers to as YV12.
Consequently, it is difficult to actually use the functional units and to verify suitability for the connection relationships between these. That is, if the connection relationships between the functional units are verified, the possibility of connection between the functional units may be known after comparing all data characteristics, for example, the size (or type) of data, serial/parallel transmission schemes and internal algorithms.
In addition to the function or operation of the functional unit, the sizes or sequences of input/output signals are clarified. In this way, as implementation-dependent contents are included, it is difficult to analyze standard documents, and quantity increases.
Moreover, by preparing an item “internal algorithm” for defining the functional units, the internal algorithm of a functional unit is described and the meaning of an input/output signal is defined. However, this gives restriction to the manufacturer of the functional unit and provides unnecessary information to the user of the functional unit due to implementation-dependent characteristic. Accordingly, an input/output signal is not clearly provided.
Due to these limitations, difficulty occurs in a standardization operation, the writing of a decoding decoder that defines the implementation of a functional unit and the connection relationship of the functional unit is very complicated and much limited. Consequently, much difficulty exists in practical application.